Ferguson police have also arrested a locally elected official (alderman)

[Lex]

I guess he was using social media to get out the word about what was happening in his city.
Check his twitter page to see what he was tweeting. Then he goes silent. Here: https://twitter.com/AntonioFrench

Brian Stelter ‏@brianstelter 4m

Follow up to my earlier tweets: jail officer confirms to me that @AntonioFrench, alderman/social media super-user, is in custody. #Ferguson

[kcdoug1]

1. Governor Nixon

get your stupid ass OUT of Jefferson City and FIX THIS!

[randys1]

2. Alderman must be Black

[Lex]

4. Yep

https://twitter.com/AntonioFrench

[littlemissmartypants]

7. They found him. eom

[ReRe]

30. Check out this epic photo of support...

... for the community of Ferguson:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025382246

Should be titled: Don't Shoot!

[Rex]

3. No names, no badges...a totally rogue police department.

GREAT. Just what we need now.

[Lex]

5. Crowd at police station now demanding alderman's release.

TheAnonMessage ‏@TheAnonMessage 1m

BREAKING: Crowd rallying at #Ferguson Jail demanding @AntonioFrench's release. https://vine.co/v/MYpMplL0QTe

[Rex]

6. They were arresting journalists and not identifying themselves.

I hope this stays peaceful, the pigs are begging the local populace to start something. Fucking pigs.

[littlemissmartypants]

10. I remember when the

So called "long hairs" were the objects of their affection.

[Rex]

14. I think their military toys have rotted their brains.

Someone said they are all insane and I am starting to wonder if someone spiked the coffee machine with LSD.

[littlemissmartypants]

16. Petroleum poisoning. eom

[Rex]

17. Something must have gone horribly wrong for an entire department to go rogue.

The next few weeks will be interesting.

[littlemissmartypants]

19. Four days and counting.

Passive resistance is very powerful.

[Rex]

20. It is, and it makes all the violence come from the side of law enforcement.

Which is one reason I think the PD is just begging for the citizens to do something violent.

Keep it peaceful, document everything.

[ancianita]

21. Jacob's Ladder. Maybe their computer systems going down pissed them off.

[billhicks76]

25. Where Are The White Hoods?

These guys are the KKK. Someone needs to do something soon before these idiots have a war on their hands. That's probably what they want.

[billhicks76]

26. Extraordinary Rendition USA

They are grabbing people in the middle of the night. They think they can go house to house like they did in Iraq. KKK written all over these numbskulls.

[cal04]

8. tweet from his wife: being booked now. Not sure what the charge is yet.

@AntonioFrench being booked now. Not sure what the charge is yet. Was ordered out of his car and arrested because he "didn't listen".

https://twitter.com/MichaelSkolnik

[Lex]

9. Sonofabitch!

Unbelievable. If you look at his twitter page you can see he was documenting the police action tonight. Then it goes silent.

[littlemissmartypants]

11. A true Patriot. eom

[Lex]

12. Yes indeed.

No doubt. And it is not illegal to film police, no matter what they say.

[merrily]

31. To the contrary it is a First Amendment right, made applicable to

all state and local governments by the 14th amendment of the Constitution of the United States. Same Constitution that they swear to uphold. A right to freedom of expression is state constitutions. too, though perhaps not as the first amendment, per se.

Funny, I can't recall anyone seizing cameras or arresting photogs when they are filming a rescue by L.E., so taking pictures, in and of itself, can't be the issue.

John 3:19 KJV

"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

[cal04]

22. Update: Charged with unlawful assembly. He maybe held for 24 hours.

https://twitter.com/ksdknews/status/499796257981095936

#BREAKING @AntonioFrench has been arrested. Charged with unlawful assembly. He maybe held for 24 hours. per French employee. #ferguson

[cal04]

32. Released and tweeting

After a night in the #Ferguson jail, I'm free. My staffers who were also arrested last night are also free. Thank you for all the support.

For the record, the officers working in the #Ferguson jail were the nicest, most courteous Ferguson officials I've encountered this week...


Spending the next couple hours getting caught up on news, kissing on my wife & child, taking a short nap, then back to #JusticeForMikeBrown

https://twitter.com/AntonioFrench

[VanGoghRocks]

23. Jesus. "Not listening" is a chargeable offense in Ferguson, MO?

[WillyT]

13. Well... Furgeson Is The First Real Example Of Fascism...

How will the country respond ???

[DocMac]

27. I've been saying that for years!

This country is fucked. Time for me to move on or go all out.

[freshwest]

15. I found quite a bit about him:

Alderman Antonio D. French is serving his first term as the Alderman of the 21st Ward, representing parts of the neighborhoods of The Greater Ville, Kingsway East, Mark Twain, Penrose, and O'Fallon, where he was born and raised. Prior to becoming Alderman he served the 21st Ward as the Democratic Committeeman and managed numerous winning political campaigns as the president of his own consulting firm.

During his time on the Board, French, one of the youngest city aldermen, has earned a reputation for passionately serving his ward and creating new initiatives to improve the quality of life in north St. Louis. In 2010, the Riverfront Times named him "Best Local Politician".

Last year, his "Block by Block" partnership with the non-profit Rebuilding Together and Boeing resulted in the rehab of more than 50 homes for seniors and disadvantaged homeowners.

His partnership with the Sheldon Concert Hall has led to two successful summer jazz concert series in O'Fallon Park, helping to revitalize that beautiful public park...

More here:

https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/aldermen/profiles/antonio-french.cfm

And his reporting:

Alderman Antonio French on social media, crisis in Ferguson

http://fox2now.com/2014/08/13/alderman-antonio-french-on-social-media-crisis-in-ferguson/

He had trouble back in 2012, but I don't see how they can arrest him for that now:



St. Louis Alderman Antonio French fined $38,000 for ethics violations

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/st-louis-alderman-antonio-french-fined-for-ethics-violations/article_04905ece-66f9-11e1-bf57-001a4bcf6878.html

Sounded kind of bogus. If they did arrest him based on that, it was to shut him up, because he was doing his duty to report what was happening to people.

[littlemissmartypants]

18. OMGawd!

He actually talks to his constituents. Goodness no, can't have that. It's unamercun.

[NealK]

24. K&R

[Spitfire of ATJ]

28. This is a Police Coup d'état.

[defacto7]

29. See it for what it is....

These militarized police are protecting stuff at the cost of lives. It's only stuff. At the same time they are protecting their anonymity and their power center at the cost of our constitutional right to assembly and free speech.

This is a military state mechanism.